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Observe Collective Slideshow At Photo Bangkok 2015

Full Frontal (Flash) weren’t the only ones to show off their work with a slideshow at Photo Bangkok. The Observe Collective also put on an outstanding slideshow with top notch production values but what’s with those wiggling pics? Hit the jump to watch the video.

Observe Collective Slideshow at Photo Bangkok 2015

It’s just over 3 minutes of pure viewing satisfaction as the members of Observe Collective strut their stuff. These are some of the top street photographers working today and it’s always a pleasure to see anything new from the group. Observe is an international photography collective focussed on candid street photography. The group was born from early friendships and a common appreciation for the elusive art.

StreetShootr’s Take

You really can’t say anything negative about the Observe Collective. It’s a great group of excellent photographers and I’ve never met one who wasn’t an amazing person on top of it all. Top shelf all the way.

The slideshow is an excellent showcase of their work but some might argue it’s a tad over-produced. And while the quick edits and split screen images generally add to the enjoyment of the slideshow the wiggling images might be a bit distracting.

Here’s what Observe’s Fadi BouKaram (who assembled and edited the slideshow) had to say on this design choice:

Hey Karl, thanks for the write-up. I don’t know if we should’ve mentioned it in the YouTube caption, but this was a case of knowing where the slideshow was going to be shown (even making sure it was going to play with sound; otherwise it just doesn’t make sense.)

Now my personal opinion is that slideshows are by definition bullshit. For the sole reason that they don’t respect either medium. Meaning, it’s a sterile mix of photos and music, and it’s neither film (in the narration sense) nor photography (what’s the point of adding music?). I’ve only seen it once where stills are meshed with audio to make an actual film, and a beautiful one at that too, and it’s the French “La Jetée.”

So back to our slideshow, I realize the wiggles were probably a clumsy attempt but they, in addition to the screen splits containing multiple details from shots that had already passed, were only made to say that a slideshow is not photography, so why not let movement and audio be an integral part of it.

Plus it’s important to remember that it was designed to be shown on the side of a building during a public event. The overt wiggling might not have looked that strange at the time and could even have been designed to draw the eyes of passers-by. Just like stage makeup is often exaggerated, the dynamics of the slideshow could have been designed for the needs of its original audience.

However you look at it, the slideshow is an excellent showcase of the Observe brand and definitely worth checking out!

What’s your take on the Observe Collective Slideshow at Photo Bangkok 2015? The right pace and tone to show off the collective’s style? Or would you rather see a simple show of images? Post your ideas in the comments below and keep the conversation going!